Clamps are well know in the art. In one application, screen printing presses use a clamp system to hold their screens in register. It is common for press operators to continually release and reapply the clamps multiple times in order to achieve correct positioning of the screens. Because of the number of manipulations of the clamps required during press setup and operation, many screen printing press operators experience fatigue and minor injuries during setup. It would be desirable to have a device which clamps with minimal operator exertion. Further, single head screen printing presses are sometimes used with a combination of screens in order to achieve multicolor imprints. When changing between multiple screens, the user experiences production lag due to the excessive motion required to release and actuate the clamps. It would be desirable to have a device which actuates and releases quickly.
To that end, there currently exists a need in the industry for a device and associated method which quickly clamps and unclamps screens during registration and screen changing with minimal operator effort. Other inventions have attempted to solve the problem of speed, fatigue, and injury by employing a pneumatic clamping system. There are several drawbacks of such systems: 1) they require many expensive parts, including a compressor, 2) they take up excessive space, 3) they require electricity, and 4) they are unwieldy to use on a carousel press, a commonly used design for multicolor screen printing presses. Still other attempts to create a quick release clamp are executed by affixing a hand-tool lock clamp to a screen printing press. Problems caused by such use are 1) the angle of the actuating mechanisms for various hand-tool lock clamps is not suitable for ease of use with screen printing presses because they are ergonomically shaped to be used with a different orientation to the body than what is practical for affixing them to screen printing presses; 2) the release of hand-tool lock clamps is “all or nothing” and often jars the screen upon release, causing it to shift position, in turn further spoiling registration, 3) the grip of many lock clamps is designed for “all or nothing” clamping, making it difficult for screen registration when the operator desires a loose grip prior to full engagement, 4) lock clamps with variable pressure may not be easily fully engaged with a single action, and the pressure can not be loosened without fully disengaging, 5) the action of many lock clamps creates a non-perpendicular force during grip, causing the workpiece or screen to slip when being engaged. It would be desirable to have a clamp that allows for variable speed during engagement and disengagement, and that exerts perpendicular force. Accordingly, there remains a need in the art for a clamp system which uses perpendicular force, has a small footprint, is variably pressured and has variable speed when engaging and disengaging, and needs little or no extra support structure than what is currently present on screen printing presses.